Monday, December 18, 2006

For many people, snoring may seem like a fairly minor issue in their lives. After all, something that is experienced by so many people around the world cannot possibly be all that serious, they suppose, so it seems a waste to consider such treatments as snoring surgery.

The truth is that snoring can have a number of negative effects on a person's life, as well as the lives of those close to them. And even more severe is the fact that snoring is sometimes not the problem in and of itself, but rather a symptom of a more severe problem, such as sleep apnea. Snoring surgery may not only be the right choice to improve the quality of your sleep, and the sleep of those around you, but also may be the right choice because of a greater health risk.

Snoring surgery may not be the only solution for you. Obviously, it would be a wise choice to consult a doctor before you decide to go with a surgical procedure, as there may be other treatments available which would be able to give you the positive results you need without the extra costs and hassle associated with a surgical procedure.

These treatments may include simple things such as nasal strips. In fact, it may even be as simple as sleeping in a different position or losing a bit of weight, both of which can yield remarkable results in stopping your snoring. Consulting a doctor will also give you a chance to find out if your snoring is caused by simple things such as nasal congestion, or more severe causes such as a deviated septum or sleep apnea.

Once you have consulted a doctor, if you still feel that snoring surgery is the right choice for you, then you have a few options which are open to you. Each option works in different ways, and as such varies in effectiveness depending on the cause of your snoring. One of the simplest and easiest methods is a procedure that is known as Somnoplasty.

Somnoplasty uses a specific frequency of radio waves to, over time, correct blocked airways. This will reduce snoring, as well as potentially reducing or eliminating the threat of an obstructive sleep apnea. The advantages of this method are obvious, as there is no real surgical procedure involved. However, the time frame is a bit longer than one might expect from some other methods.

Other types of snoring surgery are, obviously, more invasive than the Somnoplasty treatment. However, they may be necessary, as Somnoplasty is not effective in cases where the cause of snoring is within the nasal passages. For instance, direct nasal surgery would be required in order to fix snoring that is caused by a deviated septum, and other similar sorts of nasal blockages. Again, the specific type of snoring surgery you use should be decided based on advice from a medical professional, as they will be able to inform you of how effective you can expect each different method to be in your case.